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Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Reworking The Bookcases

Whenever I show you a picture of the familyroom, this is usually the view that you get. However on the wall across from the seating arrangement is our entertainment center. I hardly ever show that.

I love this piece for all the storage and I can close the doors and hide the TV. That is a super plus to me. We have had this piece for over 20 years. It's big enough to hold a 32" tv and that works great for our room. You can also see how the kitchen is open to this area too.

You can see how adding the beadboard totally changed these shelves in this post. This was such a small DIY project to make such a huge difference. No more black hole.

It was time to give this whole unit a good going over with furniture polish, so of course the vignettes changed up a bit. Some things stayed and some new things filled in other spots.

Instead of so many books, I tend to creat little vignettes on each shelf. That makes it more interesting to me.

I don't really have a theme, just things that I enjoy looking at.

So how do you arrange your bookcases? Are they a library or do you fill them with all kinds of things like me.

33 comments:

Marty, I like what you have done, and I like how the backs of the cabinet are lighter. Your swan is stunning! We use our largest bookcase for books, but I manage to fit in collectibles.The bookcases in the piano room (living/music) have few books, china, and whimsical things that the pianist enjoys, so they often change.

What a beautiful entertainment center Marty - and you've styled it to perfection !I do a mix of books and other items - except the book collection keeps growing so I've very little room for anything but them now lolXOXO

This is a great piece, Marty! I love that you can hide your television. Plus, it fits on this wall perfectly. I do my shelves in our sunroom the same way as you ~ staggering shelves with books and decorative items. The bookshelves in our home office, however, are like a library. Since I read so much and have so many books, I gotta put them somewhere!

Marty, you are fabulous at decorating shelves, which I find very difficult! I love the beadboard detail you added to the shelves, as well. They make everything that sits on them pop out and show better! Your home is always beautiful and inviting!I have been so busy these days and haven't visited you in a while, but I'm glad I decided to drop by today and see what new things you're doing. :)Blessings,Leslie

Now you have me wanting to switch around the accessories in my shelves! I love that beadboard idea. My family room entertainment center seems so dark in the back so I might just steal your idea! Love it Marty!-Shelley

Your unit is a nice one to have. You have decorated it so nicely. What a nice piece of furniture you have there to play with!My family room book shelf unit is a built-in and has books, photo albums and items. I am hoping to get a couple of book cases built upstairs as our projects advance. I won't hold my breath until they are done. Seems like other projects are a priority.

I will not be surprised if you shabby chic paint your whole unit.Blessings to you,d

My bookcases are an over filled library with books also on the floor leaning back against the bookcases...WITH photo's crammed in the very narrow space left in front of the books. Some places books are even double stacked as in "front row, back row" and other are just stacked. Neatly ..but still stacked. I simply cannot take the photo's down. Most were gifts from the parents of those 14 grands and 7 greats..not to menion animals etc. So...no solution at this time. I'll think about it tomorrow when I can stand it. :)

Beautiful! You have a way with bookcases as well as vignettes, Marty! I have a large entertainment center like yours and it's not easy to make the bookcases look pretty. You're definitely a master of it!

Very pretty Marty! I like your entertainment center dark. It's a nice color, not orange like so many others. Your vignettes look so good! I always admire people who seem to easily put things together like that. I like to mix books with other things too. I'm not a fan of "just" books on bookshelves. I really like that narrow basket with your cutting boards in the kitchen. That is so neat!

Marty, I love this post, I just keep coming back and looking at how wonderful it all works together. I can not arrange a shelf, just have no knack for it. I keep trying but it always looks like I am just making a bigger mess. Is there a secret I don't know about?Nonie

Marty you are the gal who can create a beautiful vignette - love how you styled your bookcase shelves! I struggle with mine and am constantly tweaking it. Like you I added beadboard (paintable wallpaper) to the back of mine and it adds much more character. You are my Go To source for vignette inspiration!Marie@The Interior Frugalista

Marty,You are always inspiring me with creative ideas for my own Entertainment Center vignettes, dear friend!!!At the present, I have whites and greens within the vignettes for Spring and Summer decor.However, as I'm viewing all your red spines, I'm gaining inspiration for Autumn and Winter re~arranging!!!Thank you for sharing how you rework your bookcases.Fondly,Pat

Marty, you really have a knack for vignettes. Although you said you just use what you like, it seems as though every shelf has some connection to the other. I love your beautiful bookcase. We invested in a beautiful oak bookcase that is 3 units tied together to look like one due to the crown molding on the top and spans a 6 ft. wall section. The units originally were to have open shelves on the top and doors on the bottom, but we opted for all doors. My hubby has many books after being a mechanical engineer for many years. Best thing we ever did. Although I can't decorate any shelves it certainly hides many books that would otherwise look messy. I do get to decorate the top of the units.

Beautiful shelves Marty! I love all your little vignettes, especially the top with the swan, birdcage and binoculars on a stand. Thank you for sharing at What We Accomplished Wednesdays. Have a great weekend! Blessings, Deborah

About Me

Hi, I'm Marty. Welcome - Moving back closer to family finds us transforming our "Builder Basic" into a home that reflects our lifestyle. Careful planning, tons of DIY and a sharp eye for design can turn any house into your dream even if you have a small budget. I share it all, the successes and failures. We love to entertain so you'll find a few tried and true recipes and entertaining ideas too.